Divergence
by KellethMetheus
Summary: Agent Lincoln Lee examines his life and makes a huge choice. What does it mean for the other side?


**Author's Note:** This is my first Fringe story so if you like what you see let me know and this might grow into a longer story that tells just how the two of them got together. I have an idea in my head but not sure if anyone will want to read it.

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Agent Lincoln Lee watched Agent Salerno walk away and the man's words repeated over and over again. 'Captain Lee. He didn't make it.' Lincoln couldn't help remembering the last conversation he had had with his alternate: the two of them had been trying to figure out the moment their lives diverged. What experience made Captain Lee a confident leader and he, Agent Lincoln Lee, a shy, quiet man who never seemed to step up and say what he wanted to say. Thus more often than not, missing out on what he wanted most out of life.

Eventually he came to the conclusion that it really didn't matter. Whatever happened in the past, he had another chance now; all he had to do was stop second guessing himself and make a choice.

He had confronted Canaan, demanding the man choose and because of it, they now had Nina Sharp in custody and a whole lotta David Robert Jones' data. Hopefully it would allow this side and the other to stop Jones' plan.

Seeing his other self Lincoln realized who he had the potential to become. There was only one other choice to make: he needed to stay here on the other side with Liv and help her catch the people who killed Captain Lee and his partner, Robert.

He hoped that Canaan would find his own anchor because Lincoln had come through his own maze finding he didn't belong where he had thought: his home was through the looking glass. He'd never put down roots because his world wasn't where he belonged. Now it was time to take his own advice, 'You can keep waiting for somebody else to define you, to give you your place in the world, or you can decide that you're not just somebody's broken puppet any more. Choose!'

Turning around, he headed off after her, Liv. He needed to tell her about his choice to make sure that he wouldn't give up until both of them found their justice.

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"Captain Lee is dead, he didn't make it through surgery. I'm sorry, Agent Dunham; we're all sorry for your loss." The words reverberated through her head and Liv wished she could banish them but the fact remained. Lincoln was dead, and he wasn't coming back.

Liv Dunham opened Lincoln's locker, the door squeaking slightly and she smiled. He'd meant to complain about that but with everything that had happened lately, he never found the time.

She looked inside, surprised by what she found. The entire door was covered with pictures... of her... of them.

Her fingers brushed the various pictures as the memories—both good and bad—flooded her mind, flushing out the horror of losing him. Lincoln had been at her side for so long and now that he was gone, what was she going to do? Why did everyone have to leave her, first her father; then her sister and her baby; then Charlie took his family and moved to somewhere away from the East coast when things started to get bad; and now Lincoln was gone too. No one loved her enough to stick around… why was she so unlovable? Even the slightly broke Olivia on the other side had found love, so why not her?

She looked back at the locker door and sighed. No, Lincoln had loved her, just look at the locker: it was a testament to her and how much she meant to him. It showed in the pictures he'd chosen to display. Her first recommendation was there, the New Year's Eve when he'd gotten a little tipsy and kissed her. That was before she'd been able to tell him about Frank. Then after Frank was gone all she had to do was reach out to him but she hadn't wanted to upset the team balance. Now she wondered if she should have.

Slowly Liv emptied Lincoln's locker, placing what remained of his life into a box. Last of all she pulled the pictures from the locker door then closed it, shutting out the part of her life that was over and gone. There was no bringing him back now.

Suddenly Liv no longer had the strength to fight her emotions. Sinking down onto the bench, she felt tears gather and she hated herself for losing control, now of all times. He would expect her to be strong, the war wasn't over yet. What could she do now, build another team only to lose them as well?

"Hello?"

Liv's head snapped up. It was his voice, he was here talking to her, it had all been a mistake. Linc was alive! She turned her head, but it wasn't him. The man who stood there wasn't dressed in cargo pants and spiky hair, instead he was clean cut and wearing a suit. It was the other one, Linc's doppelganger.

"Hey," She forced a smile, but then it became genuine. The crazy thing was it didn't hurt to see him. It made her feel better to know that, in another form, Lincoln Lee lived on. "I thought that you would be long gone by now."

Lincoln froze, then all he wanted to do was flee. He saw it in her face—she thought he was him, the other... him. What was he doing here? She had just lost her partner and now here he was stumbling around as always making a mess of things.

"You know what? I-I wasn't thinking. My face is probably the last thing you want to see right now. Maybe I should go—" He turned to leave, to get out of there so she could mourn alone like she obviously wanted to.

"Lincoln," her voice stopped him and he turned back and really looked at her.

Tears were gathering in her eyes and her voice broke as she spoke, "It's fine. What's up?" She motioned for him to sit down.

He took a breath to collect his thoughts before speaking. Captain Lee's words from earlier that day came back to him. 'She's the tough one. All our years working together, never once seen her barf, or shed a tear.' But here she was crying over Captain Lee and Lincoln knew what she needed, even if Liv didn't.

"We collected a lot of Intel on Jones. There's more work to be done. I thought I'd stick around for awhile, I figured you'd need some help." He sat down across from her and waited, knowing he needed to hear it from her, that he was needed here, because the other side didn't need him—they had Olivia and Peter.

Then she did it, she smiled at him and he knew it was genuine. "Thanks, that'd be nice."

Then he did it, Lincoln took a chance, his first one ever. He reached out to take Liv's hands. "It may not feel like it now but it will get better. He's gone but you'll never forget what he means to you. He'll always be with you." He tapped the place over his heart. "Right here. So let it out Liv, he'd want you to cry for him. He loved you and he wouldn't want you to keep it inside. He would have thought you stronger for it."

Liv nodded as the pictures she was holding fell to the floor. Lincoln saw a single tear run down her cheek and then he took the final plunge and pulled her into his arms. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and cried silently as he stroked her hair.

Neither of them spoke, mourning the loss of a friend, but they both knew this was the beginning of something new.

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I love to write and I have written for many fandoms over the years if you like what you see take a look at my page by Googling my penname and you'll find my site with all my stories archived and easy to find. Thanks for reading and I hope you will leave a review.


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